Aston Martin Plans “Brother of Valkyrie”

Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. is developing a second model with Red Bull Racing, which is working with the British carmaker on the upcoming Valkyrie hypercar (pictured) that’s due to bow next year.

The new mid-engine model, which is known internally as “the brother of the Valkyrie,” is expected to launch in 2021 and will share some of the Valkyrie’s styling and technology, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer tells Autocar. But he says the vehicle will be about half the price of the £2 million-plus ($3.4 million) Valkyrie.

The 2021 timing likely would put the new model ahead of future supercar’s being planned by Ferrari and McLaren, Autocar notes. Palmer says Aston Martin is benchmarking both companies, especially Ferrari, in developing the new vehicle’s driving dynamics and overall capabilities. An electrified powertrain is possible.

The new £1 million car and another model Aston Martin plans to launch in 2021 to compete against the Ferrari 488 will share an all-new carbon fiber monocoque architecture with aluminum subframes, according to Autocar. The U.K.-based enthusiast magazine says the so-called brother of Valkyrie model will serve as a halo car and likely will have an extremely limited production run.

To support the second project with Red Bull—and possibly future programs—Aston Martin is co-locating a 130-member development team on the racing team’s U.K. campus in Milton Keynes. Palmer notes that the team will be near Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey, who teamed up with Aston Martin design chief Marek Reichman on the Valkyrie.

Last September Aston Martin signed on to become the title sponsor for Red Bull’s Formula One race team, which is now called Aston Martin Red Bull Racing. The team is expected to begin using Aston Martin engines in 2020 when F1 rules change.